Guides for Reading
Groups, Book Clubs, Academic Study

Welcome

A sample academic study guide has
been produced, and will be posted here once we get the required academic releases.
Available now, though, is a newly developed three-part discussion guide for
reading groups and book clubs.

An extensive webpage on Hunger's Brides developed by Swiss educator
Hans G. Fischer for use with students of English. The page includes author
readings and background interviews recorded during Anderson's
tour of Germany, Switzerland and Austria in the fall
of 2005.

A three-part guide: reader,
moderator, author

The guide consists of three sets
of questions and responses:

general questions for reader discussions

response items and additional questions
for the moderator

additional commentary by the author

Reader questions

A set of general discussion questions
can be found here. There are nineteen in all; we
hope each reader will find three or four to catch his or her interest.

Moderator responses: jumpstarting
the discussion

To make running the session as easy
as possible, we’ve supplied partial (so as not to undermine the actual
discussion) responses to the questions asked, here; moderators can use them
to get the ball rolling or nudge things along.

To maintain their own interest, moderators might consider asking one group
member to read aloud the readers’ questions, and ask another to come
prepared to present the author commentary (without the moderator having seen
it him- or herself). Moderators can then focus on their own discussion points.

Author commentary

For added interest, the author has
produced some commentary here relating to each question. We have taken some
care to avoid furnishing “answers,” however, so as not to interfere
with the group’s own discussion.

Where there seems to be room for
a range of opinions, Paul may sometimes offer his own as one of many.

Where “inside” information
is supplied, it is usually not in direct response to the question but rather
as background.

Where a question delves into Paul’s
intentions, he responds directly while conceding in advance that intentions
may be somewhat mysterious and often quite distinct from the outcome.